State mulls police help to rein in illegal buses

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28

The Punjab Government is exploring the possibility of seeking police assistance to curb illegal plying of buses. The Transport Commissioner has already shot off a communication to the transport authorities across the state for initiating strict action against buses plying without a valid permit and not sticking to the approved time table.

Taking a note of the developments, Justice Rajan Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed that an officer not below the Joint Secretary’s rank from the Transport Department and an officer not below the DIG’s rank from the Police Department would remain present in court to render assistance.

As a contempt of court petition in the matter came up for hearing, an Additional Advocate General appearing for Punjab submitted that the department concerned would “explore the possibility of seeking police assistance to ensure that no bus/mini bus plies in the state in violation of the law.” He also placed on record the communication sent by the Transport Commissioner

The developments took place on a contempt of court petition filed by Dhillon Transport against Harjit Singh Sandhu. The petitioner had initially moved the High Court for initiation of action against illegal operation of permit on the Sardulgarh-Bathinda via Rori-Surtia route.

The petitioner had contended that the operations were being conducted without any time table, as required under Section 72(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act. The Bench had disposed of the petition with a direction for deciding the petitioner’s representation, “as early as possible, preferably within 15 days”.

A petition had been filed earlier in the High Court, claiming that former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was holding more than 90 per cent shares in a private company, Dabwali Transport. Another company, Orbit Resort, was also substantially owned by his family. The petition had said that serious conflict of interest was apparent. Private transport companies were doing roaring business in Punjab, while the public sector undertakings were suffering huge losses, it had claimed.

The High Court, in a related matter, had made it clear that it would look into ownership and profits made during the past five years by Orbit Aviation, a transport company owned by the Badal family.